The rest of our lives
by iam.mattevans
Summary: It's their very last night at Hogwarts, and Oliver Wood has a question for Percy. Warnings for implications of erotics.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, Weasley?" Oliver Wood was laying in his four-poster bed with his hands behind his head for the past three hours, watching Percy frantically packing his trunk. Now, however, he was sitting up on his elbows and looking curiously at the redhead. "Why have you never kissed me?"

Percy spluttered. "Why on Earth would I do that?" He could feel his ears turning red, but he bent down and busied himself with rearranging his socks so that Oliver wouldn't see.

It was their last evening at Hogwarts. Tomorrow, they would take their very last journey on the Hogwarts Express back to the King's Cross station, and most of them would never set their foot in the school again. Percy didn't know how to feel about this. Most people in their year spent the past few days saying goodbyes to all their friends, insuring each other they will remain in close contact even after they left school. But Percy didn't have any friends. He was never popular, always considered by others a bit of a killjoy, and so people tended to avoid him. He supposed he would miss the castle, yes. It's silent might, the magic etched in every stone, every tile of the building. He would miss the library, and perhaps some of the teachers. But otherwise, he quite looked forward to the change of scenery. He had gotten a job at the Ministry of Magic, something he always wanted, and he was excited to start and do his best. Somehow, he really believed he could make a change in the world, and what was a better place to start other than the Ministry itself?

So, instead of saying goodbyes, Percy spent the last days of term carefully packing his trunk and getting ready for his new job.

"Well," Oliver Wood mused, "you like me, don't you?"

Percy's years turned even redder. Yes, he did like Oliver. But Oliver wasn't to know that. The idea of him coming out like this was ludicrous. He and Oliver were never even proper friends, let alone anything else. Plus, Oliver was one of the most popular guys at school, tall, handsome, funny and good at Quidditch, it was easy to see why people (girls, mostly) idolised him. Whereas Percy… well, he was just the skinny glassed prefect and head boy who always ruined the fun in everything.

"What gave you that idea?" he asked, sharply.

Oliver chuckled. "I'm not an idiot, Percy. I can see they way you look at me. We've been sleeping in the same room for seven years, for heaven's sake."

Percy didn't reply. He didn't know it was that obvious, and he felt greatly ashamed. He intended to leave Hogwarts without anyone discovering his secret, and he planned never to see Oliver Wood again in his life.

"But the question is, why have you never kissed me." Oliver continued, brushing away Percy's embarrassment.

"I… I didn't think you'd want me to, I suppose." Percy stammered, still looking at his folded socks.

"And why did you think that?"

Percy felt annoyed now. What was it with all these questions? They haven't spoken together properly in seven years of living in the same dorm, and now Oliver was questioning him like the Spanish inquisition. Was he perhaps laughing at him?

"Well, for one, you've been going out with Olive Evergreen for the past three years," he gritted through his teeth.

"I'm not going out with her anymore."

"What?"

"We broke up a week ago. Had different plans for after Hogwarts."

"Oh," Percy said. He didn't know what should one say in such a situation. That he was sorry? Ask if Oliver was alright? He didn't look too distraught over it.

"So what are you going to do now?" Was the sentence he came up with, hoping to distract Oliver from the topic of kissing.

"Wanna play professionally. Try my luck in one of the teams. And most importantly, take a break from dating," Oliver shrugged. "But enough about that. What about that kiss?"

"Well, do you want me to kiss you?" Percy asked with an attempt at sarcasm.

"That's not the question, Perce. For once in your life, try to forget what other people want and focus on what you want. Did you ever want to kiss me?"

Percy was confused now. "Yeah," he said after a while.

"So why didn't you?"

"I already told you, I didn't think you'd like it. And in any case, you aren't even gay, are you?" He was shouting now, taking the defensive stance, but it didn't matter. They were the only two boy Gryffindors in their year and they had perfect privacy in the dormitory.

"Oh, don't you get it, Weasley?" Oliver sighed. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. What does it matter whether I would like it? Remember Daphne? How she kissed me on a dare in our fourth year? I didn't like it either, but she didn't care. She just went ahead and did it. I seriously don't understand your brother one bit. Always going about how ambitious you are. You are not ambitious, Percy. If you were, you would have done it years ago. But you never did. Because you always but other people's needs in front of your own. Prefect, Head Boy, always the best in everything, obedient, responsible, reliable, mature and quiet. A model student, a perfect son. You've only ever done what everybody expected of you. But when will be the time to start doing what you really want, Weasley? If you continue like this, you will end up with a sad miserable life and it will be all your fault. I suppose you would even marry a girl you don't love just to please your mother-"

Percy couldn't take anymore. His blood was boiling. He walked up to Oliver Wood and gathering courage he never really felt before, he kissed him full on the mouth.

That, at the very least, shut Oliver up. Percy's nose tip brushed against Oliver's and he could feel the other man's scent. It was earthly and grassy, a bit like a Quidditch pitch in the rain. Percy put his hand in Oliver's hair and pulled him closer. He could feel butterflies flying in his stomach, and he thought he was trembling a bit, too.

When he finally pulled away, he could hardly draw breath. He looked Oliver into his deep brown eyes, their foreheads almost touching, his hand still tangled in his hair, and wished this moment could last forever. But then he straightened up a walked back to his trunk.

"Are you happy now?" he shot at Oliver, slightly annoyed. He was beginning to feel great shame. He shouldn't have risen to his provocation, he knew that, and now he was regretting what he had done. Wood was now probably going to tell the whole school. It was only lucky they were leaving tomorrow and he would never see most of them ever again. What if his brothers found out about this, though? He would completely lose his reputation, they would laugh themselves stupid. Big Head Boy kissed Oliver Wood, the great Quidditch player. How amusing.

While wild thoughts were racing through Percy's head, Oliver just sat on his bed, his mouth hanging slightly open, looking as though he had been recently petrified.

"I never thought you'd actually do it," he said at last, looking more confused than ever.

Percy snorted, not looking at the other man. He wanted to run, he wished for the ground to open up and swallow him. He didn't think he could stand being in the same room with Oliver a second longer. He slammed his trunk shut and made for the door, when Oliver spoke again.

"That was a really good kiss, you know."

Percy stopped in his tracks.

"Thank you." He said stiffly.

"So," Oliver grinned. "How was it? Did you like it?"

Percy blushed crimson again, still standing nervously by the door. "Yeah."

Oliver's grin widened. "Good. Learned anything new today?"

"Yeah," Percy repeated. "You are git, Wood."

And they both laughed.

"Keep in touch, Weasley. And remember today," Oliver said as Percy stood in the open bedroom door. The redhead looked at him for a long time, and then smiled.

"I will."


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so I decided to write another chapter. Please review! **

"Hey, Weasley!" Oliver Wood was sitting in a corner of a pub watching a game of Quidditch on a screen, but looked up when his best friend walked in. "How was work?"

"Horrible," Percy moaned and slumped onto a chair next to him. It was early summer, almost exactly a year to the day they graduated from Hogwarts. A lot has changed from then. Oliver has gotten his dream job and was now a reserve keeper for Puddlemere United, while Percy started working at the Ministry of Magic at the Department of magical transportation. They were both really excited about their progressing careers, as they were both on a path that would hopefully lead them where they wanted to get in life. Their appearances have somewhat changes as well - Oliver's hair was longer than it used to be at school, but the change suited him. A year of hard Quidditch training had also brought a change in his physique. While never being exactly thin and ganging, he was now larger built and more muscular than ever. Percy, on the other hand, had grown up yet more, so he was now taller than Oliver, and his cheekbones have gotten more prominent on his face. His horned rimmed glasses, however, have not changed at all.

More than their careers or appearances, however, have changed the relationship between the two men. While in Hogwarts they hardly ever spoke to each other, they were now almost inseparable. Oliver sent Percy an owl last summer congratulating him on his new job and inquiring how his old roommate was doing, and they started talking. First they exchanged a few polite letters (more polite on Percy's side than on Oliver's), but then they decided to meet for a drink in the pub, and since then they have been meeting there every Friday for a year. They have both been pleasantly surprised how easy and natural talking to the other one came to them. They were both very passionate to the point of being obsessive about the things they loved, and they could just sit there in the corner of the shabby pub and talk for hours on end. And so they did.

"Crouch is still calling me Wetherby, and if that wasn't enough, we have a new secretary in office and of course he introduced me to her, so now she is calling me Wetherby as well. Hey, stop laughing! It's not funny!"

"It's pretty funny," Oliver insisted and ordered another beer, whereas Percy asked for a chilled gilly water.

"When are you going to stop drinking this rubbish and start drinking beer, Perce? This is a girls' drink."

Percy puffed up his chest. "Beer is revolting, Wood. It tastes like goblin piss. Plus, I cannot get drunk tonight. Got a report to finish."

"Its Friday, Weasley. You're going work yourself dead."

Percy ignored this. "So what about you? Came here straight from practise, did you?"

The redhead watched Oliver's muscles under his tight t-shirt standing out a little more than usual, as they always did after practise. He rather enjoyed the sight.

"Yeah, how did you know? Am I still sweating or something?" Oliver nervously grabbed a hem of his t-shirt and smelled it.

"No, it's got nothing to do with that," said Percy hastily, his ears reddening. It had been a year since they stopped seeing each other on daily basis, but Percy hadn't managed to get over his attraction to Oliver. He thought it would have gone away by now, with work and new people to distract him, but as the two men grew closer to each other and started being friendly, it seemed to only have worsened.

"I kissed Jeanette today," Oliver said.

That brought Percy back to his senses. "Oh. How was it?" He knew Jeanette was a seeker for Puddlemere, and as Percy deduced from the things Oliver said about her, she was probably in love with him.

"It sucked." Oliver growled. Percy chuckled.

"Bad luck, mate. I thought you wanted to take a break from dating, anyway."

"Well I am not intending to date her!" Oliver sounded indignant. "Stop smirking, Weasley. I've wanted to talk to you about something, actually."

Percy put on a serious face again. "What is it?"

Oliver, however, didn't seem in to much a hurry to spill the beans. "Well, I've been thinking a lot lately."

Percy noticed Oliver was now blushing slightly. He looked at him curiously.

"About that kiss, I mean." Oliver added.

"What kiss? The one with Jeanette?"

Oliver sighed. "No. The one you gave me on our last day at Hogwarts."

"Oh." Percy turned pink too and averted his gaze. "Look, I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have done it. I was in a temper because of the things you were saying about me and I-"

"Well, you should do things in temper more often, Percy. Don't be sorry. I am glad you did it."

Percy looked up. "You are?"

Oliver sighed again. It seemed the thoughts he was trying to articulate were causing him difficulties. "You know what, forget it. I knew you wouldn't get it."

"No." Percy carefully laid a hand on Oliver's arm. The brunet looked at it curiously, and then looked at Percy. "Please, tell me." The redhead said.

Oliver chewed his tongue for a moment. "It's just… I've never been kissed like that before, you know."

"Like what? You mean by a man?" Percy was now slightly apprehensive at what might come next, but Oliver shook his head.

"No. I mean yes, that too, but that's not the point at all. What I'm trying to say is, I've never been kissed by someone like they really meant it. When you kissed me, I had the strangest feeling… A good feeling. As though the whole world just vanished for the moment. I've never felt anything like it."

Oliver trailed off, looking embarrassed.

Percy looked at him, unable to believe what he was hearing. He was now experiencing small explosions of joy in his stomach. He looked at Oliver.

"I really want to kiss you again right now."

Oliver didn't say anything, but the way he smiled nervously and leaned in was answer enough for Percy. He grabbed the front of Oliver's t-shirt and pulled him closer. Percy's lips found Oliver's and it was a thousand times better than before, because this time, Oliver was kissing him back. And Percy felt blissful oblivion as everything and everybody seemed to suddenly vanish. There was just them, and Oliver's lips, and his scent, somewhat stronger than last time, and the heat radiating from his body. He thought this would never happen again, but here he was, holding the man he was crazy in love with in his arms, and that was the only thing that mattered to him at that moment.

They parted after what felt like several years, both looking at the other, Percy tenderly, while Oliver seemed more confused than ever.

"You taste like strawberries," the brunet said after a while, still looking slightly shaken.

Percy snorted. "You taste like beer." And a grin appeared on Oliver's face.

"I bet you liked that."

"Not in the slightest."

"But you like me." Oliver was still grinning.

"You know I do." Percy smiled. "I think you are going to reevaluate your sexuality, though, Oliver."

Oliver frowned, and Percy suddenly felt the happy feeling that was flooding him drain away at the look the other man was giving him.

"No I don't. I'm not gay, Percy."

Percy just stared at him, and he suddenly felt more empty than ever before. "Right. I know. Yeah."


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, Weasley!" Oliver Wood opened the door to Percy's flat without bothering to knock and placed a six pack on some papers on Percy's coffee table, where Percy had been trying to get some work done before the interruption.

"I brought beer."

"You know I hate beer," Percy scowled half heartedly and looked apprehensively at the cans on what a moment ago had been his nearly finished report.

It was July and stiflingly hot in Percy's apartment and the beer immediately started sweating, droplets of water soaking into the papers below it, and eventually, Percy knew, making a small puddle on his polished wooden coffee table. He cringed. He did hate beer, and it didn't have anything to do with the foul taste or the ghastly commercials the brands came up with these days. No, it was Oliver, and the way he acted, the way he changed every time he had a drink.

It started, Percy supposed, two years ago, when on the last day of school he kissed Oliver in their dormitory. He knew it was a mistake, but he couldn't regret it very much. He had always been rather taken with Oliver, and how could he regret his actions, when because of them, he got to kiss the man he was so desperately in love with?

Curiously, they have been friends ever since, never really having talked before, and Percy even gave Oliver the keys to his small flat recently, having grown tired of meeting in the pub. Oliver has been using this privilege quite often ever since, and just like today, surprising Percy in odd moments when the redhead was trying to attend to the responsibilities of his new job.

The problematic part of their relationship was not even the fact that Percy fancied Oliver. It was that he didn't really know what was Oliver's view of the matter. He acted in a perfectly normal and friendly way towards Percy on most days, but sometimes, on the days he had been drinking, he tended to change, as though he lost some of his composure. And on those days, they weren't exactly just friendly towards each other. They made out, cuddling on the couch and kissing for hours on end, until Oliver had to go to practise of they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Those were the days Percy dreaded and yet looked forward to the most. He hated himself for not stopping Oliver in whatever self destructive behaviour he was exhibiting by acting this way. He knew he should, really, that he was not being a good friend to Oliver by letting him play with them both like this. But Percy was a coward. He secretly didn't want this to stop, he didn't want to go back to being just friends with Oliver (though Oliver stubbornly maintained that this was all they are and ever will be). He hoped that the way Oliver was acting when he got drunk had something to do with the real him, with how he really felt about Percy, but was unable to admit it to himself in his sober state. That he liked Percy back.

And so Percy did nothing, and let himself be used like this by Oliver, never discussing it with him for fear of bringing too much attention to the unspoken issue between them. The only thing that changed since they started doing this is that Oliver stopped talking about girls in front of Percy. Percy had once gathered the courage to ask him whether he was seeing someone, and Oliver had said no. But that was the closest they ever got to discussing the topic, and so Percy left the boundaries of their relationship painfully undefined. It was causing him a lot of pain, too, if he was honest with himself. He loved Oliver, wanted to be with him, and the thought that Oliver was probably just goofing around when they made out was killing him.

And now Oliver brought beer and that added even more uncertainty to Percy. He furrowed his eyebrows at the cans, as though they were the ones responsible for his suffering, not Oliver. Because he couldn't really blame Oliver, he decided. Wasn't he equally guilty, when he didn't do anything to stop this? He felt as though the brunet was some kind of drug he was addicted to. He knew it was bad for him, but still couldn't bring himself to stop.

"Yeah, I know. But I like beer. I didn't bring it for you," said Oliver.

"How very thoughtful of you."

Oliver looked Percy up and down. "What's up with you? You look put out." He sat down on the sofa next to Percy.

The redhead sighed. "I messed up."

"Care to elaborate, Weasley?"

"I had a row with my father. You know how Fudge offered me the new job a week ago? Well, turns out father thinks he only gave it to me as means to spy on the family."

Oliver screwed up his face. "Doesn't he get how important this job is for you? That not everything is always about them?"

"I don't think they ever took me and my plans for the future seriously."

Oliver sighed. "Well I don't blame you for firing up at your father for that, but perhaps you should offer some reconciliation? They are your family after all. You love them."

But Percy just shook his head. "They won't take me back. I've said some horrible things to father."

"You surely couldn't have said anything this dreadful, no?"

"Oliver, I told him his lack of ambition was the reason our family never had much money. I didn't really mean it, of course, but I cannot take any of it back now. Anyway, I've been under a lot of stress recently."

"I'm sorry about that, mate," Oliver said consolingly, but Percy flared up at him, too.

"Well it's not like you are helping the matter! If anything, you are making it worse."

Oliver looked surprised. "How so? What have I done?"

"Everything! Why do you think I am so tense all the time? Do you think you can play with me like that, making out with me one day and acting like nothing ever happened the other, and it would have no effect on me? Jesus, I love you, Oliver! Do you realise how hard this is on me? You leaving me hanging, unable to have the guts and admit it to yourself that you like me back? Stop pretending we are just friends, no two friends act this way. And you are the one who initialised the whole thing! I never started anything, not wanting to push myself on you when I know the way you felt about the whole thing. You are the one who started this at all, you are the one who is kissing me every time you get drunk-"

"Take off your glasses," Oliver suddenly stood up, interrupting Percy in his rage.

"Why?"

"I don't want you to break them." Oliver said, still in a quiet, calm voice, though he seemed to be flushed with color and breathing rather heavily.

"Are you going to hit me?" Percy asked half heartedly, looking apprehensive, but he took off his glasses all the same and placed them on the coffee table.

"No, Percy. I would never hit you."

And suddenly, Oliver was kissing him, and it was in a way they've never kissed before - fierce, passionate, deep.

Then, the brunet took Percy's hand, walking him to his tiny bedroom and nearly throwing him onto the bed. Before he climbed up after him, Oliver took off his t-shirt and threw it on the floor. He took out his wand and flicked it towards the wireless on a small bedside table, so that a slow jazzy tune started playing.

Percy chuckled slightly. "Suddenly a romantic, are you?"

"Maybe," Oliver said, helping Percy out of his own shirt.

Percy suddenly felt strangely exposed, anxiously thinking of how bony his chest was, while eagerly taking in every inch of Oliver's strong and muscular one. He never had a chance to look at him properly, only stealing a few glances in their dormitory at Hogwarts when the Quidditch player was changing clothes. This time, however Oliver wanted Percy to look, and he did, touching a kissing the brunet.

It was when Oliver put his hand down and made to unzip Percy's trousers when the redhead suddenly froze. He put a hand on Oliver and squeezed it, stopping him.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Oliver?" he looked at the other man. Oliver just smiled.

"I'm sure, Percy."


	4. Chapter 4

The two men lay naked arms in arms, both looking slightly disheveled and out of breath, their legs tangled. They were listening to the slow tones of the wireless and mutely enjoying each other's company.

It was Percy who broke the silence first.

"I've never done this before," he said, blushing crimson. Oliver drew the redhead a little closer and kissed him in his hair.

"Nor have I."

Percy looked up, confused. "You mean-"

"No," Oliver answered his unasked question. "I mean I've really never been with anyone before. Girl or guy."

"Really?" Percy asked, surprised, but faltered under the look Oliver gave him. "I'm sorry. I only meant… but it doesn't matter." He added hastily.

"I'm glad it was you," Oliver continued, stroking Percy's back. "I hope I didn't hurt you, Perce. How was it? Was it painful?" He looked tenderly at the other man.

"A bit," Percy admitted. "But I'm still glad we did it."

Oliver hugged Percy closely, breathing into his neck and covering him with his arms. "I'm so sorry. I'll try to be more gentle next time."

Percy looked up at this. "Next time?"

Oliver hesitated. "Sorry, I thought… I mean, only if you want to, of course." He said hastily, looking apprehensive.

Percy smiled. "I do."

They retreated into more comfortable silence, until a thought crossed Oliver's mind.

"When you were yelling at me earlier, you said something," he said, carefully.

Percy lifted his eyes. "Hmm?"

"You said you loved me."

"Oh." Percy blushed again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"But you meant it, didn't you?"

"Well… I did, yes. I love you, Oliver."

Oliver was silent for a long time, to the point where Percy grew nervous of what would come next. But then Oliver spoke, and it was more of a whisper than anything else.

"I'm really sorry for the way I acted, Perce. I know I hurt you. But I am so scared of the things that I am feeling. I don't even know if what I am trying to say is going to make any sense," he trailed off. "It's just that being with you feels all wrong, but at the same time, on the inside, it feels like the most right and natural thing in the world. When I'm with you, I experience things I never knew before… When you touch me or kiss me it's like my whole body is on fire. And I thought what we were doing was wrong, that we should stop this, but then I always came back wanting more, not able to give up the things you awaken in me. I feel as though I am fighting some sort of battle inside of me between what I've been thought and what I always believed myself to be and between who I really am. Jesus, I don't even know who I am anymore. This is so hard. I just… I

I need a little time, okay? I need to figure this thing out."

Percy nodded, not knowing what to say, but it didn't matter, because Oliver suddenly continued.

"How come you have it all figured out? How did you find out you were gay?"

"Well… I guess I never really liked none of the girls, and I found that slightly odd, but I thought it would change when I met the right one. But then one afternoon I watched you coming out of the shower after a Quidditch game and I felt… I felt this strange thing in my stomach and I suddenly became very nervous. And that's when I knew, I suppose."

Oliver thought about this for a moment.

"And you have never questioned it? That maybe you only had that feeling with me, that it doesn't necessarily has to mean you like other guys, too, that you are gay? That maybe you would get it with the right girl, also?"

"Is this how you feel, Oliver?"

"Well, sort of, yeah. I like you, Percy. I really do. And I like being with you. But why would that have to mean I am gay?"

"You are the only one who can answer this, Oliver."

Percy looked towards the living room, where the beers stood forgotten, slowly dripping and destroying Percy's report, but he couldn't care less about work at the moment.

"You didn't drink your beer," he said.

"I am not going to drink when I'm with you anymore. You deserve better than that."

Percy laid his head on Oliver's chest and sighed as Oliver put his arms around him.

"It will get better. I promise."


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Weasley." Oliver Wood whispered as he entered the tiny bedroom. He could see Percy's blue eyes looking at him owlishly from between the covers, and smiled for himself as he took off his clothes, got into bed and kissed him on the forehead.

"Sorry for waking you up."

Percy looked at the clock and then glowered at Oliver. "Where on Earth have you been? It's four o'clock in the morning! I have to get up for work in two hours."

It was mid summer, but the weather didn't look like it at all. It was cold as though it was November and rain seemed to stop from time to time only to be replaced by thick white fogs. It worried Percy, because just like anyone else half as intelligent, he realised what it meant. Dementors. Thousands of them. And they were breeding. It only underlined the other recent changes in the wizarding world. Everyone at the Ministry was whispering about Voldemort taking over, and there had been such a dramatic change in their policies that Percy didn't doubt for a second that they were true. And Percy hated himself. He had known for a year now that his father had been right about Fudge and how he had been only using Percy to get to the family and to Dumbledore. He knew he should have come to his family and apologised. He knew his family hated him, perhaps even thought him a Voldemort supporter now. Because he hadn't done anything in order to stop the dark wizard. He hadn't joined the protests. He hadn't joined the Order of the Phoenix he knew most of his family were a part of. He hadn't done anything when Death Eaters attacked George and blasted off his ear. He hadn't done anything when Greyback bit Bill. God, he hadn't even gone to Bill's wedding. And Percy was sickened with himself for all of that. He didn't want to know what his family thought of him. Probably forsaken him completely. He couldn't blame them. But he missed them. He loved his family. They never liked him back much, least of all Fred and George, thinking he was spineless. And wasn't he? Forsaking them all for a career he no longer even wanted? He had joined the Ministry believing he could make a change in the world. And since he joined in, the world did change. To the worse.

The only slightly consoling thing about his whole situation was that he now had Oliver. Really had him. God knew why Oliver was still with him, Percy thought, when the only thing he deserved for his cowardice was to be abandoned by everyone. But Oliver stayed. He had even moved in with Percy about a year ago, and Percy couldn't be happier when after every day at the office of terror and pretending he got to go home to the person he loved with all his heart. It wasn't perfect, though, because to the outside world they still pretended they were nothing more than a pair of flatmates and friends. And as much as it broke Percy to pieces, he also tried to accept the fact that this was the most he could ever expect of Oliver. He didn't want people to know, and Percy had made his choice. He chose Oliver, even with the limitations their relationship offered, because he knew that without him he would hardly have any reason to live anymore at all. And he should be happy - Oliver was his, after all, which was something he had never before even dared to hope for.

But Percy wasn't happy. He felt like everything he touched crumbled to pieces.

"Been celebrating with the guys from the team. Went for a couple of beers after practise. Sorry I haven't told you yet, I've been saving it for when I came home. I've been promoted from the reserve team! I'm the keeper for real now!"

Percy sat up, all signs of sleepiness gone. "Are you joking? Wow, Oliver, I'm so proud of you!"

"Yeah," Oliver grinned happily.

"You should have told me earlier, though. I would have known what was the matter. I was worried about you, damn it."

"I know, I'm so sorry. But you are the first one to know apart from the team, I swear!"

"Well," Percy mused, "we should celebrate it properly tomorrow. Go out. Someplace nice."

"That sounds great, Perce," Oliver smiled. He drew the covers over himself and snuggled next to Percy, but the latter shouted in horror and pushed Oliver away.

"Jesus, Oliver! You are ice cold, and you hair is wet! Get off me!"

"Yeah, well it is raining outside. Come on, warm me up."

Percy grunted, but allowed Oliver to wrap his arms tightly around him, hugging him. Percy could feel Oliver's hot breath on his neck and smiled to himself. He felt that everything was as it should be, for now at the very least. Him and Oliver laying arms in arms in a warm bed, listening to the rain outside and not having to worry about anything at the moment. It was as though the outside world didn't exist, and Percy liked that. He wished they could stay like this forever.

"There was a reporter today, actually," Oliver broke the silence. "I'm going to be famous, you know."

Percy sighed. "Please don't be. I don't want our lives to change."

"Hey, this was my dream ever since I was a kid. Don't ruin it. Besides, why should your life be affected?"

"I know, Oliver, I was only joking. So what magazine was the reporter from?"

"Witch Weekly," Oliver admitted, grudgingly.

Percy snorted with laughter. "That's gonna move your career forward, that will!"

"Chmch. It's a start. She made an interview with me, you know."

"Oh yeah? What did she ask you?"

"She didn't seem much interested in Quidditch, to tell the truth," Oliver grunted. "Asked things about my personal life. Wanted to know if I'm seeing anybody."

Percy turned to look at him, interested. "Well, what did you tell her?"

"The truth. That I'm not."

Percy's heart skipped a beat. "But you are seeing someone." He said, his airpipes constricted.

Oliver looked at him quizzically. "What? Whom?"

Percy inhaled deeply, not ready if he was ready for this conversation. "Well… Me."

"What?" Oliver laughed. "We are not together, Percy. We're just friends."

"Oh for heaven's sake, Oliver, not this again. I am tired of pretending. I want to be with you, to really be with you, like a normal couple. Why is this so hard? We live together. We share the same bed! We kiss, we make love, we go out together. Damn it, you even kiss me on the forehead every time you get home! How many other friends do you do that to?"

Oliver was silent. He looked at Percy completely dumbstruck. Then he suddenly threw the covers off himself and got to his feet.

"What are you doing?" asked Percy, suddenly scared. Oliver was putting on his t-shirt.

"Going out. I need some air." He said. And then he was gone. Percy stared after him, terrified. What had he done? He shouldn't have pushed Oliver. Did he push him so far this time that he lost him forever? And where was Oliver going? It was almost five in the morning! The sun would soon be going up.

He lay in the bed which now felt uncomfortably empty, and stared out of the window, where it finally stopped raining. But that didn't bring any joy to Percy. He had one thing in life, and he had to ruin that, too.

He looked at the alarm clock. It was nearly six now. Where was Oliver? Where did he go? He didn't have anywhere to go. He let his old apartment go when he moved in with Percy, and his parents were dead. Maybe to one of his friends? Someone from the team? Was he coming back? Will he ever come back? Or will the flat be empty of his things when Percy came back from work that day? The thought nearly made him pass out with terror.

He slowly got up and headed for the bathroom to take a shower, feeling more miserable than he could ever remember, when he heard keys in the lock. He turned and walked towards the hallway. It was Oliver. He stood there is his oversized hoodie, which was halfway between wet and dry.

"Oliver," Percy breathed. "Oliver I am so sorry for what I said before. I didn't mean to push you, it's all my fault. Please don't leave me, I swear I am not going to-"

"I love you." Oliver interrupted him.

Percy just stared. "What?" he whispered.

Oliver walked to Percy and held both his hands in his own. "I love you, Percy."

"You've never said that to me before," Percy managed to say.

"I'm sorry. But it's true. I do love you. Jesus, I think I've loved you ever since you kissed me back in our old dormitory at Hogwarts. I just never really realised, because I felt I wasn't allowed to feel this way towards a guy. But you've completely changed my life, and you made me challenge everything I knew and believed in. And I know better now. I've been a prat, Percy. Please forgive me. I want us to start again. Together."

Percy managed a weak smile. And he nodded.

"Now, how about you take the day off work and get some good breakfast with your boyfriend?"

Percy couldn't believe what he was hearing. Boyfriend? Oliver, wanting to go out with him officially for the first time? Not having to hide anymore, or to pretend? Even just to be able to hold his hand in public?

He beamed.

"I'd love that."


End file.
